Aranab Singh (19), a Jaipur resident, was a foodie and never really gave much thought to the fact that he weighed 120 kg. Even though his mother, Anita Singh, is a dietician and a Reebok-certified trainer, Mr. Singh never took to fitness. Things, however, changed when he enrolled in the BFM (Financial Markets) course at Jai Hind College in 2016. On a shopping trip with friends, he was shocked to find that he could not fit into the largest sizes that many brands offered. “For the first time I realised how much weight I had gained and hated seeing myself in the mirror,” says Mr. Singh.
Desperate to shed weight, Mr. Singh joined a gymnasium, but the task was not easy. “At first, it was difficult for me to even walk for more than 20 minutes, but I refused to give up. I started pushing my body beyond my limits, and worked out twice a day,” he says. He was able to reduce 10 kg this way but thereafter, nothing seemed to work. He was then introduced to the concept of eating balanced meals by one of his dietician friends. “I kept changing my diet and my workout every two weeks and the results were amazing,” he says. By working hard and eating right, Mr. Singh managed to lose 34 kg within six months. That was when he thought of providing an end-to-end solution for all health and fitness needs.
Mr. Singh, who was barely 18 at that time, had no knowledge about the food industry, nor did he know how to develop a website or run a business. Around the same time, he met Polly Mistry, a food expert and restaurant owner, at his gym; and his professors Yasmin Singaporewala and Haseena Sayed at Jai Hind College, who helped him understand the nuances of business. Under their guidance, with financial help from his mother (Rs. 2 lakh and Rs. 6 lakh from a friend) and one chef, one helper and a delivery boy, Mr. Singh unveiled ‘Routine Protein’ in July 2017.
Soon, two of his friends, Ajay Singh Rathore and Abhay Vashistha joined him. They now have 13 staff members: five delivery boys, two chefs, two helpers, a manager, a social media handler, a dietician and a fitness trainer.
Fitness supplements
At Routine Protein, health conscious customers not only have the choice to select from a wide range of healthy meals but also get affordable and healthy bakery products. Clients have the option to choose from a list of ‘transformation plans’ in which they provide all meals; the Hybrid Plan (suitable to people interested in building lean muscle); Torture Fat (to cut down on fat); Rock Bulk (to gain mass) and a Keto Diet (for intense fat loss).
Under the hybrid plan, a customer can choose from a monthly (Rs. 24,999) to quarterly (Rs. 54,999) subscription for seven meals per day. The Torture Fat plan costs Rs. 8,999 (bi-monthly) and Rs. 14,999 a month for five meals a day. The Rock Bulk plan costs Rs. 9,999 (bi-monthly) and Rs. 17,999 monthly for five meals per day, while the Keto Diet costs Rs. 15,999 for three weeks for five meals. “All the meals are designed under the supervision of the in-house nutritionist,” says Jignesh Somani, a dietician and ACSM (American Council of Sports and Medicine) certified trainer. “The customers can also hire personal trainers as per their requirement.”
In addition, there are three-meal plans and single-meal plans. “We have more than 50 types of salads and over 60 types of vegetarian and non vegetarian meals to choose from,” says Neeraj Kumar, chef. “We also offer protein-based sweets with no added sugar.”
Says Oshi Rawat, in charge customer relation and social media, “Our online store provides an array of fitness supplements and we deliver daily-use organic products such as dairy products, veggies, pulses, etc.”
Says Rohini Ramnathan, Radio Jockey, who has been using the Hybrid Plan for over a month, “I am very specific about eating healthy and freshly-cooked meals. Routine Protein has been able to deliver customised meals and I feel happy that I am able to get the food I should actually be eating. They have been able to fill the specific need of health-conscious working professionals in the city.”
Routine Protein started with two clients on their first day and now has 80 clients across Mumbai. By the end of this year there is a plan to expand to Pune, Surat, Hyderabad, New Delhi and Ahmedabad and introduce products like cold pressed juice and ready-to-drink protein shakes. For this they are looking for an investment of up to the tune of Rs. 25 lakh.
“We wish to touch as many lives as we possibly can and make healthy living a lot easier and more comfortable,” says Mr. Singh.
Routine protein
Founder: Aranab Singh
Founded: 2017
Fundings: Bootstrapped
Employees: 13
